Best friends in the Universe by Hector and Louie (Review #2), written by Stephanie Watson, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Abhinav N.
Summary: Hector and Louie are best friends, the greatest of friends they do everything together. They tell funny jokes and make funny drinks and they even named both their fishes python! Hector and Louie are the best of friends and want to write a book to celebrate it, but when a secret is revealed Louie and Hector had to face a huge dilemma, they must overcome each others mistakes and return back to the greatest of friends.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Overall, this book really spoke to me as the perfect thing to teach young kids valuable life lessons through cute and nicely drawn graphics and short sentences. The book begins with Hector and Louie being best friends and the things that they did together, really going into depth on why they are the best of friends. Many kids could relate to the silly things that these kids both love to do-  one being making new types of food like peanut butter toast milkshakes and both loving hilarious knock knock jokes. The story then flips the plot completely as Hector accidentally spills Louie's secret, combatting back Louie spills a secret about Hector and the both of them insult one another and develop a hate for one another. After a period of boredom and forgiveness the two reunite and become best friends again knowing that no matter if one of them spills another's secrets they still are the best of friends and they always will be. This book would be very useful young kids and their parents as the book teaches two very valuable lessons through the story one being that your best friends will always stay your best friends through all the ups and downs of any friendship, it is shown through nice and cute graphics that any kid finds amusing. The next lesson shown is one of forgiving and forgetting, the kids in the story fight and make up soon after realizing they are best friends, this situation will be remembered by kids and thus can then choose to exercise the forgiving and forgetting that brought Hector and Louie back together. To summarize, the art makes the book a very attractive read to young kids who love color and pictures, the sentences are short and simple which will also encourage small kids to read as well and overall will teach them valuable life lessons through such a simple medium.